Côte d’Ivoire and the ‘third-term’ virus

The author warns that President Alassane Ouattara's decision to seek a third term in Côte d’Ivoire, based on the claim that the 2016 constitution reset the term counter, risks triggering instability similar to the 2000 and 2010/2011 crises. The text highlights a broader trend of 'third-term' attempts in Africa, citing examples in Guinea and Burundi, and calls on the AU and ECOWAS to treat such constitutional manipulations as unconstitutional changes of government.

• President Alassane Ouattara's decision to run for a third term in the October 2020 elections has led to protests and violence, echoing the post-election crises of 2000 and 2010/2011.
• The ruling Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) justifies Ouattara's third-term candidacy by arguing that the constitution passed on 8 November 2016 established a Third Republic, effectively resetting the presidential term counter.
• The 'third-term' phenomenon is a wider regional issue, with Guinea's President Alpha Condé and former Burundian president Pierre Nkurunziza using similar constitutional arguments to justify extending their mandates.
• Political instability in Côte d’Ivoire is further exacerbated by the removal of key figures like Laurent Gbagbo, Charles Blé Goudé, and Guillaume Soro from the voters roll following 20-year prison sentences imposed by Ivorian courts.
• The author contends that the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) should classify opportunistic constitutional amendments to prolong mandates as unconstitutional changes of government.

APA

Diatta, M. M. (2020). Côte d’Ivoire and the ‘third-term’ virus. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/iss-today/cote-divoire-and-the-third-term-virus

Chicago

Diatta, Mohamed M. Côte d’Ivoire and the ‘third-term’ virus. Institute for Security Studies, 2020. https://issafrica.org/iss-today/cote-divoire-and-the-third-term-virus.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Diatta |first1=Mohamed M |title=Côte d’Ivoire and the ‘third-term’ virus |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=1 September 2020 |url=https://issafrica.org/iss-today/cote-divoire-and-the-third-term-virus |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{diatta2020cte, author = {Diatta, Mohamed M}, title = {{Côte d’Ivoire and the ‘third-term’ virus}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2020}, month = sep, url = {https://issafrica.org/iss-today/cote-divoire-and-the-third-term-virus}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }